Unlike Jacob’s Adouille, Wayne Jacob’s does not ship their products because that would mean that they would have to change the way that they produce their meats, that is, the way it has been produced there since 1950. Admirable.

I ordered a few appetizers to check out some of the fine Charcuterie work that David Rauch does in the back of the house, and I was super pleased that I got to go into the back and say hello to David and get a few photos of him at work! I also got a few shots of the cracklins that were cooling on the back counter before being bagged up!

I enjoy the Andouille that I produce (my Andouille Recipe) and I also enjoy the one at Jacob’s Andouille. But in my humble opinion, as Andouille goes, the product that David Rauch produces in LaPlace is by far the benchmark.

This recipe is an excellent use for leftover cornbread, preferably made the best way in a cast iron skillet. The crust that the cast iron develops will make a better stuffing as it will have a much better texture. I tried out the cornbread recipe from Donald Link’s cookbook Real Cajun (my review), I really liked it (although it’s not a sweet version if that’s what you’re into) and it worked really well for this recipe.

I made a batch of this stuffing with the last of my homemade Andouille sausage from the freezer, I guess it’s time to fire up the smoker again and restock. Here is a pic of my homemade Andouille Sausage.

I stuffed this dressing into 2 inch thick pork chops and grilled them, just gave them some color then turned the heat down with some smoldering Pecan wood chips underneath. I foolishly forgot to get pictures, because we were starving, sorry.

This would also be an excellent stuffing for Roast Chicken, Turkey, Turducken, or hey, even Peppers.

Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add the Andouille, cook until it starts to render then add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, Thyme and creole seasoning, reduce the heat to medium. Sweat the vegetable mixture until they are tender, stirring often. Here is a pic of the Andouille and vegetable mix which is the base for this dressing:

Add the cornbread and stir well to coat with the Andouille and vegetable mixture, reduce the heat to medium low. Add the stock a little at a time you do not want the mixture too wet or too dry, but bear in mind that you will be adding an egg when the mixture cools. You can always add more stock, but you can’t take it out.

Stir in the green onions, place the stuffing in a dish and cool in the refrigerator, when cool, add the egg, mix well with your hands.

Makes enough to generously stuff 4-6 Pork Chops or one Chicken. If using for Turkey I would double this recipe.

Saints fever in New Orleans, I wish I was there to watch the game and get wild in the quarter before and after, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen, so the next best thing is to whip up some game time chow that will, in flavor at least, whisk me and my guests away to New Orleans as we hopefully watch the Saints go marching to victory.

Here are a few ideas for a great Super Bowl party with some New Orleans flavor.

Mix up a Sazerac to kick off your party, a New Orleans original and some say the originial cocktail at that:

I’ve posted on Grillades & Grits a few times in the past, it’s one of my favorite comfort meals, usually for Sunday dinner, although it’s great for breakfast as well. I didn’t follow a recipe for this meal, but I used the same basic procedures as this recipe, although I used chicken stock in place of the beef stock.

Maque Choux (pronounced Mock-shoe) is creamy, rich stewed corn dish that is most certainly Cajun. The trick to good Maque Choux is using very fresh corn so that you can scrape the pulp and milk out of the cobs which will give the dish it’s distinctive creaminess.

I also like to add some Tasso as a seasoning meat for the pleasant smokiness that it adds to the dish. Bacon also works well, and by all means substitute Bacon drippings for the unsalted butter if you like. Here is the recipe:

Cut the corn off the cobs using a very sharp knife. The trick is to cut about half way through the kernels, then go back and scrape the cobs with your knife to extract all of the milk into a bowl. Reserve the corn milk.

Melt the butter in a two quart sauce pan, add the Tasso and cook on medium-high heat until slightly brown. Add the corn, onion, celery, bell pepper, Thyme and a healthy pinch of salt and reduce the heat to medium. Cook stirring often for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, reserved corn milk and another pinch of salt. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fried Okra is sometimes called Southern popcorn, because when you start eating it, you just can’t stop. Try making some as an appetizer at your next gathering to see why. I served mine with a Green Onion Aioli, recipe is below. Enjoy!

Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, hot sauce, salt, and Cayenne. Place the cut Okra into the eggwash, mixing it up a bit to cover. Let stand 15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the cornmeal, corn flour, and seasonings in a brown paper bag, shake well. Take the okra out of the eggwash and place into the paper bag, shake well. Do this in 3 stages for even coating. Fry the okra in batches until golden brown, I did mine in 3 batches to prevent overcrowding the pan, and making the fried okra greasy. Drain and remove the okra to a paper towel lined plate. Season with Kosher salt immediately after removal. Serve with Green Onion Aioli (recipe below).

Combine the green onions, garlic, egg, lemon juice, and salt in the workbowl of a food processor. Puree well until the mixture is green. With the motor running on low speed slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture is thick.

Here is the latest batch of Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream, made from the Creole Cream Cheese which I made the other day. It’s texture is like velvet, and the flavor like frozen cheesecake, I can’t get enough. I made a quick strawberry sauce to accompany this (recipe follows), though it goes just fine all alone. The recipes:

Combine the Cream, Milk, Sugar, and Vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just starts to boil, remove from the heat. Put the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl, then temper the yolks with a little of the milk mixture. Combine the two mixtures. then return them to the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook the custard until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, 2-4 minutes, DO NOT BOIL. Strain into a mixing bowl and refrigerate until chilled, at least a few hours (you want it very cold before it enters the ice cream machine). Meanwhile, combine the Creole Cream Cheese and Sour Cream then put them through a fine mesh sieve, mashing them through with the back of a wooden spoon. When the custard is cold, fold in the Creole Cream Cheese and Sour Cream. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturerâ€™s instructions. Serve as is or freeze overnight for a firmer ice cream.

I made a fresh batch of Creole Cream Cheese yesterday that I finished today. I just ate what you see in the picture, sprinkled heavily with sugar, and I can tell you honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t try this recipe. This is the easiest cheese in the world to make, and you will learn more on its versatility, when I post further with recipes for Creole Cream Cheese Cheescake, and Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream (a.k.a Frozen Creole Cream Cheese, my fave, which I will make in the next few days.

By the way, what I used for a cheese mold this time was an inexpensive silicone muffin tin, which I punched drainage holes into with a hole puncher, traditionally used for paper (but not here on Nola Cuisine).

The way I have presented Creole Cream Cheese here is at its simplest, the way it was meant to be served; sweetened with fresh fruit and cream as a breakfast treat. Give it a shot, it is extremely cheap and easy to make.

I wrote an extensive post on this subject with the recipe just over a year ago, which I am including below because:

a.) I didn’t have this wonderful camera to show the fruits (no pun intended) of my labor a year ago, and a picture is, as they say, worth a thousand words.

b.) I worked hard reasearching this post, so it bears repeating, at least for my sake (or your sake if you plan on making this recipe.)

Here is the post and recipe from July 29, 2005, about a month before Hurricane She Who Shall Not Be Named reared her ugly head on the wonderful city of New Orleans. I hope you enjoy and learn as much from this post as I did researching and making the dish:

Creole Cream Cheese used to be widely available in New Orleans, over time however it became harder to find, and never outside of Louisiana. It’s a soft cheese eaten as a breakfast treat, sprinkled with sugar, covered with cream or half & half, and usually fresh fruit. This is what “>The Picayune’s Creole Cookbook of 1901 had to say about the subject:

Cream Cheese is always made from clabbered milk. The ‘Cream Cheese Woman’ is still as common a sight on our New Orleans streets as the Cala Woman was in the days gone by. She carries a covered basket in which are a number of small perforated tins in which the Cheeses are. In her other hand she carries a can of fresh Cream. She sells her wares to her regular customers, for the old Creoles who do not make their own Cream Cheese are very particular as to whom they buy from, and when once a good careful, clean woman gets a ‘customer’ she keeps her during her period of business, coming every fast day and Friday with her Cheese and Cream, for this is a great fast-day breakfast and luncheon dish.

The “Cream Cheese Woman” has long ago gone the way of the “Cala Woman”, but fortunately for me, I enjoy making it myself. It’s a fairly long but very simple process; combined, about 10 minutes of actual work. Rennet is a coagulating enzyme which comes from a young animal’s stomach, but there are also vegetable varieties. It comes in liquid or tablet form, I use the liquid animal variety. Although I had a hard time finding it in my area, you may find it in tablet form in the baking aisle at your grocer. If not, do what I did and order it from Cheese Supply(dot)com. The shipping is a little steep for just a small item, so I ordered some Manchego, Cheesecloth, and a few other items to pad the bill. The recipe:

Combine the skim and buttermilk in a good sized saucepan. Over medium heat bring the mixture to 110 degrees F, stirring occasionally. Pour the heated mixture into a large, non-metal bowl. Add the rennet, stir and cover with cheesecloth. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. After a few hours there should be chunks (Curds) and liquid (Whey), try to keep Miss Muffet at bay. Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth, then spoon the curds into the colander, try to keep them intact. Let this drain for 1 hour or until it is one solid piece. Discard the Whey, or make Ricotta, which is made from cooked Whey. I haven’t tried it yet, but next time I will. Place gently into a bowl and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serve with sugar, half & half, and fresh fruit.

*New* I have another recipe for Creole Cream Cheese that says you cannot use Homogenized milk. I’ll have to locate some to see if there is any difference in the finished product. The same recipe states you can substitute reconstituted dry skim milk. Another variation in this recipe is the use of Plain Yogurt as the culture, in place of the buttermilk. I will post when I try this.